Lack of corona test kits, coupled with ambiguity on results

When it comes to halting the Covid-19 crisis, virus testing is the most significant way for diagnosing and for tracking the pandemic. It’s the only way to uncover just how many people have been infected or could infect others. However, the shortage of proper corona test kits and ambiguous results in the diagnosis terms that tests have been stalled due to lack of corona kits in the region.

Hyderabad:Corona suspects and victims in Hyderabad are suffering due to the shortage of proper corona test kits and ambiguous results in the diagnosis of the same.

This situation is arising due to the actions of some lower-level officers and staff. Tests at several primary/urban health centres have been stalled due to lack of corona kits in the city.

In some places, the number of tests has been reduced subsequently. However, the fact that the officials who gave the medicine kit to the suspects on the day of the test, saying the test result was positive, are causing new problems to the same patients, by declaring it as a wrong result and the correct result is negative itself, after a day or two!!

Thousands of people have been able to undergo corona tests in the city over the past few days with the launch of rapid antigen testing in parallel with the ongoing RT PCR testing procedure. It is possible to know the result on the same day in the antigen system of virus testing.

Of the 40,000 tests conducted in the city since August 8th, around 7,900 have been diagnosed positive, as per the records of the officials. 3787 people were examined on Saturday. The number of tests has been reduced as the antigen‌ kits at the medical and health department are almost exhausted. In some primary and urban health centres, the process was entirely stalled.

Of the testing centres which have a capacity to conduct about 200 tests on an average, at present, only 50 are being conducted. Hundreds of patients with suspected symptoms have been approaching these centres and are returning home disappointed, as the primary health centres are not able to conduct any tests on them.

Officials say the kits will arrive at the stalled centres in a day or two and then they shall restart the testing process. The suspects are also unable to get tested through the RT PCR‌ examination, as these test centres are also drastically decreased in number. Even if they are being conducted in hospitals like NIMS, the test prices are beyond the reach of a common man!!

Lack of corona test kits, coupled with ambiguity on results

• Results Disclosure System Not on the Right Track

The system that can diagnose the coronavirus is still not put on the right track. It is to be observed that the concerned suspect is always not getting the right information about his result on the phone. If he tests positive in the test, he is being notified as though the result was negative, and vice-versa.

A few days ago, Vanasthalipuram government hospital staff said in a phone call made to a certain family from LB Nagar, that three members of the said family had tested positive in the samples provided by them, ten days ago.

All three were given home isolation kits. They used a course of medication as prescribed by a doctor. However, on Saturday they received another message on their mobile stating that their test results were actually negative. The family who used all the drugs usually prescribed for Corona are now worried!!

It is noteworthy that more than 300 people have received messages in a similar format, wherein they were first intimated as positive and then another message is received by them, stating that their results are actually negative!!